Alexandria Rising: Book 1 of The Alexandria Rising Chronicles

Alexandria Rising #1

by Mark Wallace Maguire

For fans of The Bourne Identity and The Da Vinci Code, comes a new edge of your seat adventure. Rand O'Neal, an ambition-less newspaper reporter, is given a single task upon the death of his grandfather: Destroy a mysterious map. What should be a simple errand thrusts Rand into a journey across three countries chased by unknown pursuers and leads him into a world he never could have imagined existed. This book is labelled an action adventure, but contains elements of science fiction, suspense and mystery. It is also the first in a trilogy and a series of prequels. It is also linked to a multi-media website which allows readers to engage with the experience in video, images and interactive appendices.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Amazon, Action, Fantasy, Mystery Thriller

377 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 16, 2016

About the author

Mark Wallace Maguire is a Kindle best-selling author of 8 books of fiction and nonfiction, including the highly-praised Alexandria Rising Trilogy which is also on Audible. He is an Independent Author of the Year Finalist and a Georgia Author of The Year nominee. Maguire spent almost 20 years in metro Atlanta's competitive media scene where was honored with more than 20 awards by his peers for his work in journalism. He also works in videography and design. You can discover more at alexandriarising.com.

Reviews

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name · Rating 3 out of 5]

Netgalley # 18

Many thanks go to Mark Wallace Maguire, Speckled Leaf Press, and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

Rand's grandfather is hiding something really big from him now that he's dead. Like he's going to get shot and kidnapped big. He was going to have to fight his way out of a serious situation. And figure out the good guys and the bad guys. Not to mention decide whether he wants to believe all the hocus pocus about the rocks.
Poor Rand is a drunk so he doesn't always think straight. But he knows this is not right. What was his grandfather into? And did his parents know? Does the world know? Because this is huge if it's true.
I immediately requested the second book in the series when I finished this one. I have to know what Tand is getting into next.

[Kirsty ❤️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise for this book is good; Rand is gifted a mysterious map by his late grandfather. Immediately he is visited by a shadowy society that want to buy the map from him. After saying no he ends up on the run, kidnapped and held captive in a mysterious bunker under a castle in Australia as the society seeks to recruit him to their side. 

It has the makings to be good but I just found it boring. The short chapters help keep the flow going but I couldn't buy into the story. The society characters were all quite stereotypical and there just wasn't enough about Rand for me to enjoy him as the hero. 

Overall I really wanted more but didn't get it.

Free arc from netgalley

[Suzanne Swift · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent..! I loved that the chapters were kept short..made the focus of reading more enjoyable and effective...all our senses get involved , sense of smell, vision hearing , due to Marks excellent descriptions and details..I loved the topic, since myself I enjoy the study of energy and crystals and sound..Looking forward to the sequel!!

[Boundless Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rand is given one task when his grandfather passes. Destroy a map, a map that has been hidden for many years. This one task takes Rand on a remarkable journey, filled with danger, and reveals secrets he never could have imagined. 

Wow! This book sucked me in on the first page and it was very hard to put down.  It had history, which, if you know me, then you know I love anything historical. It was suspenseful and full of mystery and intrigue. It kept me on the edge of my seat.

It was written very, very, well. The characters are deep and well laid out. The storyline is fascinating and told a magical and dangerous tale. It seemed to be open ended so maybe a sequel is to come. I really hope so. This was a great read and one I will definitely be looking forward to recommending....Stormi

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[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a lot of fun, but it also presented some great ideas and showed great understanding of character. Though it seems to present itself as a plot-driven page turner, I also enjoyed its attention to the humanity of its characters. Surprisingly good. It seemed to leave room for a sequel, too, and I hope there is.

[King Kimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and Intriguing

I wasn’t sure what to expect but it held my attention. I would like to read another volume to find out what happens next!

[Claire Fun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I had planned to do something else with my afternoon but once I got about 10% into this exciting and interesting book, that was that, and 5 hours or so later I hadn't moved... I loved it!
Rand O'Neal, the unlikely hero of the book, is tasked by his grandfather's last wish to destroy a secret and mysterious map. A stranger in a smart suit offers him a whole lot of money for it, and he somehow knows everything there's is to know about Rand...What follows is full of action, adventure, intrigue and excitement as Rand tries to work out who to trust and what to believe, as secrets emerge about his family history and the secrets kept from the whole world.
Well written with likable and believable characters, wonderfully descriptive set pieces, and an entertaining plot line with slight hints perhaps of the DaVinci Code, but not so much it's an issue. I love the 'shadowy secret organisation controlling the world from the shadows' type of thing - why yes, I am a fan of the X Files - and there was a nice little hint of a romance without it being as over the top as some of these books can have a tendency to do. All the characters were great, and I could completely visualise a great film being made of this book one day. It bounced along at a great pace and kept my attention throughout - as I said at the start, I was compelled to finish in one sitting! It works fine as a standalone, but equally there is a second in the series, and I look forward to reading the next one as soon as possible. I would recommend this to anyone and might in fact have to buy a copy for a couple of my immediate family, because I know they'd enjoy it!

-I received a free copy of this book from net galley in return for an honest and unbiased review (and am very glad I did!)

[B. Phoenix · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the premise of the book, but I feel like the novel did not have enough follow through as far as the characters. Hopefully, since this is the first book in the series, the author Mark Maguire will go more in depth in character and plot development. Also, there is a companion website that allows readers to get a more action experience with videos, pictures, etc. As previously mentioned, this novel has a really intriguing plot - secret organization tasked with being the keepers of what one can truly define as the Akashic Records. What conspiracy theorist wouldn't appreciate this kind of set up? There was a lot of action in the beginning; the main character Rand was on the run from these mysterious men in black suits. But after he was captured by the Organization, the action went down from there and it became more of a psychological novel with Rand undergoing a series of conditioning test. Even though, I did not exactly fall in love with the characters, I still fell in love with the plot, and I will reading the next books in the series.

[Allenbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alexandria Rising is full of action, adventure, international intrigue, and a touch of magic. With a balance of serious suspense and wry humor, the novel ties in themes of history and culture, balanced with mystery and romantic tension. An unlikely hero, Rand O'Neal finds himself thrown into a global conspiracy following the death of his grandfather, whose final wishes lead him on an epic journey. The chase takes Rand from the U.S., to Ireland, and across the continent, and involves a host of dangerous characters and head-turning plot twists. The story is an amazing ride and begs for a sequel, or a full series of sequels.

[Audra J · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved how this book started out and was easily ready to give this book four stars. Great exciting concept but somehow about a third of the way through things started to not flow as well, Rand's character seemed to change to much to quickly to make him a believable person. Some of the story line seemed forced and over the top for dramatic flare and really didn't fit (especially an unneeded sex scene which I read about 3 lines of and skipped that chapter). It didn't fit this genre of book. Without that I would have rated the book a 3 star.

** Note I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway but my views are completely my own. **

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this action/adventure page-turner. I was pulled in from the very first chapter, and I found myself getting up earlier just so I could have some extra reading time. I was also thrilled to discover that Mark Wallace Maguire had added a lot of bonus materials for true-blue fans on the book's website and videos on youTube. Five Stars!

[Marc Parijs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy through Goodreads.
This is a good read for those who like fast-paced adventure.
The book is propelled forward with tremendous speed through the use of very short chapters.
I liked the characters in the book and the plot.
I would highly recommend this book to other readers.

[Harold Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thriller...with the door left wide-open for a sequel.

[Kathy Floyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

This book was so full of twists and turns, you had to grab hold of your own bottom to hang in there. I loved not being able to figure out what was going to happen next!

[Karen Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really have enjoyed the book. Hoping there is more to come. I received the book through goodreads giveaways.

[Marilyn Buehler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read. Characters were nice, but plot was ingenious. Luv'd it.

[Annette Gisby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book more than I did. The main premise was really interesting - what if all of the Library of Alexandria wasn't lost? What if some of that knowledge was still out there? How would humanity and mankind change?

In this book, this knowledge is out there, but it is guarded by a secret society called The Organization and they are holding that knowledge close for 'the greater good'. Funny how the 'greater good' only seems to help those people who already have what they want.

The book started off so well, with Rand being contacted by a shadowy stranger offering thousands of dollars for his grandfather's old map and in refusing to sell it is on the run from murderous pursuit of that same Organization.

Rand's journey takes him from Ireland and then the Continent where he is finally kidnapped and taken to their main headquarters.

And from there is where it starts to go downhill. Instead of an interesting mystery to solve, and clues to follow, we are suddenly in the villains' lair like James Bond-lite and the remaining half of the book is about Rand trying to escape by pretending to fit in.

Let's not forget that we have a woman scientist, Hope, who seems an interesting character in her own right, but we only get to see her through Rand's eyes as a love interest. Such a waste. One of Rand's first thoughts on meeting her is about her 'perky breasts'. Really? You're running for your life and you notice her breasts? If most men think that on first meeting a woman, it's very disconcerting. The romance between the two of them seemed to come out of nowhere and it felt tacked on rather than part of the same book.

The book was well written and fast paced, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I was going to. I don't mind far-fetched plots or impossible heroes, but I just didn't like Rand and that made reading it tough going, as we only really get Rand's point of view.

Rand knew the killers were after him and he worries they might track him by his mobile phone. That part was fine. But instead of putting the phone in a bin, he swaps it with another passenger at the airport! Well done, Rand, you've just signed that person's death warrant. It's as if Rand doesn't care about anyone other than himself.

An interesting premise let down by poor characterisation.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fast paced and fun. There’s not much depth to the story, the plot is predictable, and the characters are pretty simple, yet it does have a lot of action so there’s never a dull moment. Rand is an OK protagonist. He starts off pretty simple – an innocent guy tossed into deadly, greater things. His character does morph by the end of the story, and the quickness of the changes to his character were a little unbelievable.

The ladies are few and far between. They are mostly romantic interests. For a modern day thriller, I certainly expected more from the women. Alas, this was not the case and the limited use of the ladies made the story feel a bit dated.

The plot itself seems to toss in a lot. There’s bits and pieces of conspiracy theories pulled in including secret societies, lost knowledge, and some metaphysical lines that grant people and places extraordinary creativity. I would have enjoyed the story more if the plot had whittled some of these out and just focused on one or two inventive things. Over all, the story fell a little flat except for the fast paced action. 3/5 stars.

The Narration: Thomas Cassidy was fun to listen too. He made a great Rand, sounding both ticked off and naive at the same time. I also liked his forceful voice for the villain Kent. Cassidy did a variety of accents, most of which sounded good. His female voices could use a bit more femininity. For the most part, I liked the few special effects sounds. They were easily identifiable and didn’t drown out the narration. There were a few where I wondered why Cassidy decided to put that particular sound in (like this minor, quick reference to a man grunting in a toilet stall). The pacing was a little slow. There were no tech issues with the recording. 4/5 stars.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Mark Wallace Maguire. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

[Vroom · Rating 1 out of 5]

God, this book was bad. Bad writing. Bad characterization. Bad science. Bad storytelling. About the only thing the author got right in this hellacious want-to-be action thriller was pacing. Beyond that, Alexandria Rising attempts to create an action star on the lines of James Bond and instead gives us a empty shell of a (figurative) Nazi meeting his Nazi destiny in a Nazi castle with a hot Nazi scientist babe while doing amoral unethical things to other (figurative) Nazis.

The head (figurative) Nazi spends all his time expositing: about wine (including how much each bottle costs), music, literature, and the hero Nazi's family, while recruiting the hero Nazi to the Nazi cause, which the Nazi pretends to do even though he's making outrageous personal moral decisions that more or less clarify what a complete Nazi he is. The only thing missing is a fluffy white cat and actual cackling.

From its international scope, starting in Atlanta, making its way to Ireland, and ending up in a cardboard Supervillain's hideout, complete with delicate cuisine, landscaped vistas, and incompetent evil thugs, the "hero" of this story (aka the super-special semi-promised snowflake) does the impossible. He actually manages to make himself less likeable than the Evil™ Conspiracy he hopes to overthrow.

It's extremely hard to find any merit in this volume.

The book was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Patricia Bergman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through Goodreads giveaway.

Rand O'Neal, a young Atlanta reporter, inherits an unusual item from his Grandfather. It is a map with an accompanying letter requesting that Rand must destroy it by having it burned in a crematorium. He understands the request after attempting to set it on fire himself and finding that it is made of some material that requires the special fires. Those who want the map chase and capture Rand before the map is destroyed and transport him to Austria and an unusual adventure. I enjoyed this and did some serious page turning until the the truth was revealed.

[Joan Durbin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would you do?

I am not usually a fan of action thrillers so I was surprised how quickly I became engrossed in this book. The main character is very relatable for me and at several points I stopped to question what I would do in his situation. My choices weren't always his, but that's one of the reasons I enjoyed the book. I lived vicariously through him, always on the precipice of danger, with a willingness to do some sketchy stuff to stay alive. The plot will have conspiracy theorists nodding smugly. Some great "what ifs" along the way.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried to enjoy this

I really did try. But there are three real problems:

Verbosity does not equal detail. The author belabors the plot to a point where I found myself skimming...never a good thing in a "thriller."

Too much Dan Brown. I should think enough time has passed since the success of the mediocre Dan Brown, but perhaps our author thinks otherwise.

Third, for a thriller, I found myself bored. Maybe I employ a different definition,but this was just plodding.

I know it is a first of three. I cannot say I will spend any time with the next two.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing story featuring Rand O'Neal a reporter with good instincts but little ambition. When his grandfather dies he is thrust in to a dangerous whirlwind of conspiracy, diabolical madmen and gut wrenching decisions. Ultimately Rand becomes more like the grandfather who entrusted him to settle his affairs. Very interesting, page turner with complex plot twists. Can't wait for the next book by this author, I like his style.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rand O'Neal is a reporter who is helping wrap up his grandfather's estate, and while doing so he finds out that there was much about his deceased relative that he did not know. He unintentionally ends up on an international adventure dealing with elite global power brokers who make the world go round while having to make the toughest decision of his life. To stop them or not!

[Thomas A Peden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing story line

This is one of those books that I kept thinking would get better, but.it didn't.
Guess if one needs something to read, this story is better than the back of a box of cereal...

[Janina s. Asselin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking

Interesting story but hard to like the main character. He is flawed in many ways yet has a strength that exerts itself at times. A little juvenile in the descriptions of Dr. Lightfoot's sexual attributes, maybe the author's fantasy. All in all an adventure story.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Organization?!?!

Living in a pandemic may generate conspiracy theory type thinking in even the most sane person. This book shares a first person account of everything once thought to be true is simply a construct of the Organization.

[Gregory Trammell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Thriller With A Twist

Believable characters who reveal their true selves through their actions. A very different take on genius throughout history. A blending of science and magic.

[Jim Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, distractingly edited

Good story.

However, the many errata from misspelling to discontinuity distract the reader far too frequently. Serious editing is sorely needed.

[Catherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't finish. Didn't find interesting.